Wow, it's been a bit of a year so far hasn't it? Bowie earlier in the year; Ronnie Corbett a few weeks back; Merle two weeks ago; Victoria Wood yesterday, and now I've just heard that Prince as died. Can't say I was ever a big fan but he certainly came up with some inventive stuff!

No I wasn't a fan but liked songs he wrote recorded by others.His music fused rock, soul and hip-hop just like the mainstream country artists of today!

I wonder when these things happen that publicists are immediately onto their clients saying "YOU HAVE to make a statement".Is it the artists who tweet or people on their behalf.LeAnn Rimes version of "Purple Rain" has gone top 10 iTunes Country. More tweets for Prince then there were for Merle Haggard by new country Brits.

President Obama (press conference with "Call Me Dave" Cameron) President Barack Obama listened to Prince to get pumped up before his big meeting with British Prime Minister David Cameron on Friday."I'm staying at Winfield House, the US ambassador's residence," he said during a Friday press conference alongside the prime minister in London. "It so happens our ambassador has a turntable, and so this morning we played 'Purple Rain' and 'Delirious' just to get warmed up before we left the house for important bilateral meeting like this," he added. Obama mourned Prince in a Thursday statement after his death, saying the world had "lost a creative icon."Nicola Sturgeon (SNP Leader) RIP #Prince - another legend gone too soon.

Darius Rucker Once again Heaven's band just got even more incredible. One of my absolute idols #Prince. Thank u for showing me what true GREATNESS is!!Shania Twain Sad beyond words that Prince is gone. To me he was one of the greatest music heroes - a true genius. There will never be another Prince.

Saving Country Music A void in the music world it may take generations to fill. Nobody exuded a natural coolness, or honored the groove of music more than Prince

Bob Harris Just heard the awful news that Prince has passed away. What the hell 2016!!Baylen Leonard Ah man! Rest in Peace PrinceCarolynne Poole Dear God... Please stop taking all the good ones!... Coz you're just not making them like you used to! #VictoriaWood #prince #ripDavid Bradley Holy crap. Prince died?!Jess and the Bandits I literally can't believe Prince is gone. An absolute musical genius. This is what is sounds like when Doves cryRedSkyJuly We love Prince , best guitarist Ally ever saw in the flesh , a true music genius , Shelly devastated.

I liked some of his stuff. I seem to recall the Paisley Park album, which was his version of the Sgt Pepper album.I wouldn't say Prince had anything to do with hip hop, but his smart blend of rock, soul & funk was popular & often quite appealing.

His ego got the better of him, of course. His real name was not prince & later he changed his name to a symbol & became "He Whose Name You Must Not Speak".

His real name, the name his parents gave him, was Prince Rogers Nelson.

The story behind his changing his name to a symbol is this ... He was in dispute with his record company, Warner brothers. This was back in the '90s. He believed his contract was unfairly stacked against him. It probably was, Many artists of that time have gone to court to try to get released from their contract or to secure more favourable terms. Warner had trademarked his name, Prince, to control what was released and when. So he changed his name to an unpronouncable symbol and became known as The Artist Formerly Known As Prince (or TAFKAP for short) to get back at them.* He also played live gigs with the word 'slave' painted on his face. When his contract with Warner expired, he dropped the symbol and went back to his own name again. So not so much weirdness as business.

Did you know Prince also wrote The Bangles big hit, Manic Monday?

*As far as I remember, TAFKAP was a media invention because they didn't have a typeface for